Good People Bad Mistakes
by Doctojuji
Summary: Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum has come to the uncomfortable discovery that maybe what she believed to be "necessary" for the safety of Ooo, might not have been best. With the guilt weighing on the girl, her friend, Marceline Abadeer, offers to take her on a small vacation into the unknown Nightosphere. Only, when there, the last thing the two women get is time to relax. (F Slash)
1. Chapter 1

_You're a bad person, PB._

Bonnibel stood in front of the television screens, Phoebe's words rolling over and over in her mind. It was a preposterous thought, surely. And yet, here she was, at the command center for her spy network. Over the years she had set up cameras all throughout Ooo to keep watch over anyone and everyone she considered significant.

It had started as a way to keep her people safe and to be able to have eyes everywhere. But slowly it had turned into an inappropriate obsession that she had locked away from the rest of the world. Bonnibel found herself addicted to seeing the secrets of her people, of knowing that they too hid things from the world. For a while it had given her a sense of security, to know she wasn't the only one hiding herself. Only with each secret revealed Bonnibel found she needed more justification for herself.

Phoebe's words had exposed the heavy feeling of doubt in her stomach. And doubt is…an uncomfortable sensation for a woman in her position. She was supposed to be sure, strong, confident in all of her decisions. But how could she be when every time she stepped out to address her people she felt like a phony and a fool? Secrets or no, they were just candy people. Their worst scandal was that they would put an extra sugar cube in their tea in the morning. Bonnibel felt overwhelmed.

"I can't keep doing this," she puffed, dropping into the creaky rolling chair. It wasn't fair to her people or her friends. Finn and Jake didn't deserve someone looking over their shoulders for all of the good they did. And Phoebe was being a fine ruler, despite all of the turmoil in her past.

Bonnibel reached out, a row of thick wires connecting her computers to the monitors. Years of work and data had been collected using these cameras. Sure, there were times she could believe they had helped, but not enough. She gripped three of them, closing her eyes tightly as if she was about to rip off a Band-Aid. Sharply she pulled, electricity sparking as the connection was severed. And then she reached for more, tearing the dozens of wires till the room fell silent, broken only by a chirp from her phone.

The screen gave the room an eerie glow as Bonnibel looked towards it, noticing the familiar name of Marceline flashing on the screen. There it was, her secret staring her in the face. For a time her feelings towards the Vampire Queen had been repressed, shoved into the furthest corners of her mind. But with each text, each shared coffee, every nervous swirl in Bonnibel's stomach the feelings slowly started to push forward. What had truly shattered the barriers had been the day she traded in her most prized possession. She had given the Sky Witch Marceline's shirt just to see the vampire finally happy to have her childhood toy back.

It was then that Bonnibel realized just how much she depended on that shirt. She had worn it religiously. Every night she would wrap her arms around herself, tucking her nose under the collar to breath in the lingering wisps of Marceline. The days she hid it under coats and sweaters were the days she felt most at ease. And now, now she looked at the empty spot in her drawers, trying her best to believe that giving it up was the right thing to do.

Her phone buzzed again to remind her of the message, finally pulling Bonnibel from her seat. Gently she curled a piece of hair around her ear, gripping her phone and squinting at the bright screen.

_Movie night Finn & Jake's plc. U in?_

A tired smile pulled on Bonnibel's lips as she started to reply. She should get an early night, but with everything that happened today Bonnibel needed some time with friends.

_Sounds like fun. Shall we me up at the tree?_

The tree, it had started as a sapling several years ago. Marceline had planted it as a halfway marker for her trips to and from the kingdom. A thousand years and she still seemed to have difficulty remembering directions. But now it was a fully-grown oak and as their friendship blossomed the two women used the tree as a place to meet. Sometimes it was before parties or just to sit and chat about their days. Either way it was something only they shared. They'd even scrapped in a cheesy B and M near the base of the trunk.

_Perf. C u 5:30._

Bonnibel made her way out the door, firmly locking it with a padlock as she returned to her city streets. She had grown this city from the ground up and yet still couldn't bring herself to fully confide in her citizens. Everything in her said to, to just tell them that their princess was in the process of discovering herself…but she couldn't. Bonnibel feared they wouldn't understand and in turn they might begin to dislike her. That was her greatest fear of all.

Marceline yawned under the tree, looking down at her phone as it twisted comfortably around her wrist. 5:39, the princess was late. Not that it surprised the vampire. Bonnibel, despite her best efforts, often got distracted on her way to things. No big. She had started to act a little…weird, though. Marceline couldn't really put her finger on what it was but it was like the woman had started to feel closed off around her. Sure, their relationship hadn't started off on the best foot but now they were friends, or pals, or whatever. Was she supposed to ask PB if something was up?

Glob, a thousand years and Marceline shamelessly knew Bonnibel had been her only true girlfriend. In the sense of her being a girl and a friend. Not that Marceline would care if it _was_ the other way. Not saying she _wanted_ that, no, PB and her were just friends. Two good friends that could chat about whatever they wanted. And since Bonnibel was her only friend that was a girl, Marceline didn't want to ruin it with overly complicated emotions.

"Sorry I'm late!" Bonnibel called as she trotted towards the tree, out of breath as she adjusted the shoulder bag across her torso. Marceline shifted from her lounging position, turning towards Bonnibel with a smile.

"Don't worry about it. Compost happens," she let her converse touch the cool grass, tucking her hands deeper into her jacket. The torso was made out of denim material but had grey sweatshirt sleeves and a hood sowed into the inside. "You planning on going somewhere?" Marceline commented, gesturing to Bonnibel's bag as the pair started to make their way towards Finn and Jake's place.

"What?" Bonnibel glanced down; quickly processing what Marceline was referring to and then giving a small giggle and a shake of her head. "Oh, no. I just brought some snacks for the movie. I find Finn, Jake, and LP always hog the popcorn. I packed you some stuff too," she remarked, patting the leather cover before a squeak of a yawn puffed from her mouth.

"Awe, come on, Bon-bon. Don't tell me you're gonna fall asleep in the middle of the movie again. I don't want to have to explain it to you on the walk back." Bonnibel giggled, waving away the sign of exhaustion as they climbed the final hill before Marceline's old home.

"I won't, I won't. It's just been a long day. Besides, what would we even talk about on the way back if you didn't explain the movie to me again?" Bonnibel teased as Marceline gave a hard laugh, kicking a nearby rock with her toe.

"I don't know, we always find things to talk about. Plus I always feel like I'm the one talking."

"Oh…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Don't get me wrong," Marceline quickly interjected, the pair stopping at the top of the hill. It over looked the small meadow before Finn and Jake's house. The lights in the living room were on and the every so often shadow drifted across the window. "I don't mind, I just…like hearing about you and all," she admitted, a sheepish expression suddenly drifting over her features.

Bonnibel blushed, blinking at the confession placed before her. Should she say something? Add to it? "I…you…" she paused, looking down at the grass in thought, words leaving the knowledgeable princess.

"Naw, ignore I said anything. Come on, we're gonna be late," Marceline smiled, discarding what she said earlier by trotting ahead of Bonnibel and down the hill. But the princess continued to stand there, looking at Marceline for a moment before slowly following after. Why was she always so hesitant? There were times that Bonnibel felt like Marceline was trying to tell her something, to push her into saying how she truly felt. But every time Bonnibel would ignore it and pretend that the vampire was just being weird like always.

In truth, Marceline didn't really know what she was trying to say. Just something, _anything_. She liked having PB around, spending time with her and all. But sometimes her mind would wander and wonder about the candy princess. Wonder if there was something more behind her soft giggles and playful swats on her arm. But she could never bring herself to ask.

They were welcomed into the tree house in a wave of chatter from all sorts of friends. Bonnibel was normally the one to jump into the conversation, to laugh it up with friends until six finally hit and B-MO started up the movie. But today she simply gave people a soft smile and then slid into the reading chair she had designated for herself in the early movie club days. She was tired, partially from fighting with Phoebe and partially from her constant bickering thoughts. Maybe she _would_ fall asleep during the movie tonight.

COMMENTS: So here's my new Bonnibel and Marceline adventure. I don't know how many parts it'll be but since fanfic is being fidgety with me submitting so much text in one document I'll be posting these in chapters. Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey now, there's only one recluse allowed at this party, and that's me." Marceline teased, pulling Bonnibel from her thoughts as the princess gave a forced smile. It made the vampire curious, floating delicately next to the seat as Bonnibel slowly turned her gaze back to her lap. "Is…is everything all right, Bonnie?" Marceline asked as Bonnibel sighed, gently running her fingers along her thighs to smooth out the pink leggings.

"Marcy…do you-"

"Movie time!" Finn interrupted, stopping Bonnibel's question in its tracks as she waved it off and let the evening begin. Marceline found her self somewhat frustrated, mostly towards Finn but also at Bonnibel for stopping. Clearly something was up with the girl.

Even during the movie – an action one like always – Bonnibel just curled up in her seat. She rested her head against the armrest closest to Marceline and would every so often give a tired sigh. When it ended and the room gave a round of applause Bonnibel was already halfway to the door, forcing Marceline to give Finn and Jake a quick wave before chasing after her.

"Bonnibel wait!" She called, swooshing up the hill after the princess. Bonnibel had left her snacks untouched, even making Marceline feel guilty when she'd pull out one meant for her. "You were saying something before the movie started," she insisted as Bonnibel turned her face away, gripping the shoulder strap tight in her hands. "Bonnie, come on. Something is obviously bummin' you out."

Again, hesitation filled Bonnibel's very bones. She shouldn't tell Marceline, she didn't deserve to worry about Bonnibel's problems. But...maybe that wasn't entirely true. They had spent so much time together talking about different adventures in their lives and Bonnibel could easily say they were friends. _Good_ friends. And maybe good friends knew that not everything was perfect all of the time. Maybe Marceline truly wished to help, whether she could or not wouldn't even matter. Bonnibel just needed to find a way to vocalize her thoughts and the Vampire Queen had willingly offered to listen.

"Marceline…" Bonniebel paused, turning back towards the vampire as the lights of the Candy Kingdom glowed in the background. "Do you think I'm a bad person?" Marceline blinked, startled by the question as she reached out, gripping Bonnibel's shoulder to stop her. An evening breeze drifted across Marceline's face, pushing her thick black bangs back. There was never a time that Marceline had seen Bonnibel so unsure. It was frightening. Marceline always respected PB for how strong and sure she was and whether her decisions were the right ones she made them without hesitation. But now here she was, looking at Marceline like she was supposed to have some magical answer.

"What the Glob gave you that messed up thought? Of course you're not," Marceline commented and yet Bonnibel didn't look satisfied. Because she wasn't. Marceline didn't know what Bonnibel had done in the past and unlike the Vampire Queen she couldn't just move on from them. She _couldn't_ be bad like Marceline. And yet…maybe she was.

Marceline puffed as words of wisdom from centuries past drifted through her thoughts. The vampire couldn't even remember who had said them to her, but due to how often she used them to assure herself…it must have been someone important. "You know what I think, Bon-Bon?" Marceline asked, scratching nervously at the back of her head. "I think there's two kinds of people in this world. There's the normal kind of people, and then there's good people. And good people can sometimes make…bad mistakes."

Bonnibel found herself smiling as she looked at Marceline. It made an odd bit of sense and coming from Marceline it was strangely comforting. She reached forward, embracing the vampire and trying her best to push off a sudden wave of tears. "You have no idea how much I needed to hear that, Marcy." The woman's scent drifted into Bonnibel's nose, filling her with the same comforting sensation that Marceline's shirt had all those weeks ago. Slowly, Marceline's tensed body relaxed as her arms looped around Bonnibel, gently rubbing her back.

"Anytime, PB. You know that, right?" PB nodded her head against Marceline's shoulder, blue eyes turning upright to dry away her tears.

"I'm sorry," she giggled, finally pulling back. "It's been a bit of a rough day. Thank you." Bonnibel scratched under her left eye, catching what was left her of her exhausted emotions and hiding it behind the casual act. Marceline simply continued to smile, giving a nonchalant shrug as she always did. Bonnibel could never tell if the vampire did that out of habit or to hide any real display of emotions. Probably the latter, but Bonnibel wouldn't be foolish enough to say it. At least not unless she was trying to frustrate Marceline. Which knowing how their friendship worked could easily happen tomorrow.

"Hey…maybe you could use a break?" Marceline offered as they started their walk again. Bonnibel glanced at the vampire out of the corner of her eye, waiting for her addition. "I just mean, maybe it would be good. Just for a day or two. Go somewhere new."

"Maybe," Bonnibel shrugged, the top of their tree appearing off in the distance. "I could use to do some more research on the marsh ecosystems," Bonnibel muttered to herself, making Marceline chuckle. "What? Well, do _you_ have any suggestions?" The accusing question suddenly made Marceline blush with a nervous bead of sweat pooling on her grey skin.

"Maybe. I mean…I'm going to visit my dad in the Nightosphere. Maybe you could come with me? After what happened with Finn and Jake the last time I'm not up for going alone."

"What happened the last time with Finn and Jake?" Bonnibel questioned as a shiver trickled down Marceline's spine at the memory.

"Nothing…my dad was just trying to force me into the family business again. Having friends there tends to help…ease the situation. But, think about it. You wouldn't know anyone there except me and you'd have the whole place to poke around and collect data or whatever. You could just…I don't know, be you." Their conversation paused as they stopped at the tree, the glow of the moon speckling through the branches and leaves. Bonnibel looked at Marceline's face, a small smile appearing as she looked at how the light accented her narrow jaw and slightly peaked ears. There were times that Marceline looked more human than vampire. Sometimes it was in passing, just out of the corner of her eye, but it was like she was looking at an entirely different person. Either way, Marcy had a point and Bonnibel had never been able to bring herself to the NIghtosphere alone. And the idea that she would be there with the princess of the Nightosphere made her a little less hesitant.

"All right. That sounds like fun, Marcy. When do you want to go?"

Marceline grinned, excitement filling her hollow chest as she started nervously toying with the ends of her floating hair. "Well I was actually going to go after the movie night…"

"Perfect!" Bonnibel exclaimed. Now that the idea was there she couldn't get going fast enough. She had learned from experience that in her kingdom if she wanted to do something it could quickly fall through the cracks behind royal duties. "Grab your things and meet me in my tower and then we can head out. I have a few things I need to deal with and then I'll be set." Her excitement pushed her onto her toes, her lips brushing a delicate kiss on Marceline's cheek before she darted towards her kingdom. There was no realization of her actions, at least with the princess. Marceline, on the other hand, had been unable to move.


	3. Chapter 3

She was still touching the tingling spot on her cheek at she drifted towards Bonnibel's bedroom balcony, a duffle bag shrugged over her shoulder. Had she meant to do that? Had it just been as a way for friends to interact? Marceline wasn't really one for touchy feely things and just hugging the candy princes had been a struggle. But now she couldn't help but wonder if that was going to become a normal send-off. She certainly wouldn't complain if it were.

Meanwhile, Bonnibel had raced home, trying her best to pack the bare necessities while also having enough at the same time. She grabbed an empty journal, a small testing kit for soil and water tests, a handful of pens and pencils, her camera, and then attempted to shove clothes into whatever space was left. This was a foolish thing to do, to just leave her kingdom for a couple of days. But she had back up plans for situations like this. Most of the time she used them for days when she just wanted to sit in bed and read, but this was a decent enough excuse in her opinion.

Bonnibel settled onto the edge of her bed, another yawn stretching out of her mouth. She reached up, letting her back elongate until it gave a satisfying pop and she sighed contently. It was just a waiting game at this point, the princess laying on the bed with her face turned towards the balcony. She had read plenty on the NIghtosphere but couldn't help her excitement to actually see and smell the haunting landscape.

Almost instantly she drifted off into a dreamy landscape. It was she and Marceline, standing outside by the tree. But next to it was Bonnibel's bed from the kingdom. "How did that get here?" Bonnibel questioned as the vampire smirked, stepping into the moonlight as she shifted in appearance. With the sparkle of the night her blue skin faded into a peach tone, her black waves, lightening into a dark brown. She looked human, even her smile was without the sharp fangs.

"Who knows, but I say it shouldn't go to waste." Bonnibel giggled and then gasped as Marceline gripped her, black eyes now a hypnotizing green, and tossed her forcefully onto the bed. Her body tingled and trembled at the approach of the human Marceline. Only suddenly Finn and Phoebe stood behind her, frowns deep on their faces.

"You lied to us," Phoebe breathed as Marceline didn't seem to notice, starting to tug the top from her torso.

"You lied to all of us, PB," Finn added as the Flame Princess turned her attention towards Marceline.

"Bad people don't live happily ever after, Princess." Bonnibel shouted for them to stop, but Phoebe didn't listen as she touched Marceline's shoulder and immediately the woman shrieked as flames covered her body.

"Yo, Bonnie. Wake up," Marceline cooed, gently shaking Bonnibel's shoulder as the princess snapped her eyes open and pulled in a sharp breath. She looked at Marceline, trying to keep herself from wrapping her arms around her out of relief, and then turned to the room around her. Just a dream. Still…not something she appreciated. At least she hadn't looked panicked, considering her nonchalant wake up. The last thing she wanted to do was explain her dream to Marceline. Whether she left out certain details or not, it would be too embarrassing.

"Oh…I'm sorry. I must have dozed off," she admitted, sitting up and covering her mouth from another yawn. Marceline glanced outside; it was almost midnight now, not that the timing mattered considering how one got to the Nightosphere. Plus, the vampire did like not having to worry about the sun in the Nightosphere. Although that was probably the only thing she really looked forward to in that place.

"No big. I've got the stuff ready and we'll be in my room in no time. Then you can sleep till your heart is content." Marceline held up a carton of bug milk and a pencil. "You got a place I can set up that no one would disturb?" Bonnibel looked around her room before finally gesturing to the oversized closet in the corner. "Perfect. The last thing we need are people accidentally visiting," Marceline smirked, making her way over. Bonnibel found herself still a little shaky. She clenched her hands multiple times to force them from trembling as she slowly sat up from the bed. Bonnibel wondered if Phoebe knew the effect her words had caused.

As Marceline opened the door, though, she was stopped in her tracks, a surprised whistle filling the silence. The closet could have easily matched her room back in the cave. All of the walls were filled with pink dress after pink dress. Shoes took up the entire far wall and Marceline couldn't imagine her needing these many clothes, considering the two wardrobes outside that she knew Bonnibel had. "How do you even have time to wear all of these?" She pulled at one of the dresses, covered in ruffles and ribbons. Bonnibel blushed, quickly sliding herself between the dress and the vampire to try and usher her along.

"A lot of them are gifts from past suitors," she admitted, returning to the door and closing it, twisting the small latch so it locked. Her candy people didn't always understand the idea of knocking, simply because they couldn't imagine anyone doing anything unsavory behind closed doors.

"Glob, any of them give you lingerie? Talk about Globing awkward," she chuckled as Bonnibel turned an even harsher shade of red. Yes, she had. And had swiftly burned them in a matter of minutes. Fortunately, after her careful work with her clone she had been able to officially turn away the rest of the suitors. But as a result, her attention had now turned firmly on the Vampire Queen. It was easier to blame her distaste for suitors on her need to work rather than a scandalous attraction towards another woman.

Whistling a cheerful tune, Marceline scribbled a similarly cheerful face onto the floor. She grabbed the carton of milk, splashing it on the pink carpet and chanting the special Latin phrase. Instantly, a portal exploded before her, the energy making her hair blow up into the air as Bonnibel watched in amazement. She'd read about the spell to get to the Nightosphere, but seeing it done was even more startling.


	4. Chapter 4

In a matter of seconds, the drama of the moment passed and Marceline grabbed her duffle bag, throwing it over her shoulder and ducking her head into the portal. "Crap on a spatula," she puffed, looking around at where the portal had placed them. "Did you know that your kingdom sits over one of the worst neighborhoods in the Nightosphere?" Marceline sat back up; chuckling and quickly tying her poorly behaved hair into a ponytail. "And that's saying something. Must have to do with opposites or whatever. Who the Glob knows?" And then she floated down, making Bonnibel scramble with her bag to the edge of the portal.

"Wait for-" Bonnibel stopped. Instantly a blush decorated her cheeks as Marceline let her head float back through the portal, level with the princess's. The vampire was somewhat attempting to show off. But she couldn't help herself, whether she truly enjoyed going home or not it was a place the great Princess Bubblegum didn't truly know. When in all of Ooo would Marceline have a chance to rub that in Bonnibel's face again?

"Don't worry, Bonnie, I'm not leaving you behind. It's a bit of a fall anyway. Come on and stay close. We're not far from my place," she smiled, easing some of Bonnibel's worry as she gave a lingering glance over her shoulder. Just for a couple days. The kingdom would still be able to function without her for a few days. Hopefully.

She rested her hands on Marceline's shoulders, sliding into the portal as Marceline gently wrapped her arms around her. Bonnibel tried to ignore her spike in temperature, being so close to Marceline as they floated gracefully to the ground. "So what makes this neighborhood so bad?" Bonnibel asked as Marceline stepped away, scraping an X on the adjacent wall with her pencil. They had come out in what looked like an alleyway, the sounds of shrieks of pain and torture echoing around them. Bonnibel tried to not hover next to the vampire, but she was admittedly anxious being here.

"Well, all cities have one. This one's mostly bad because it's where all of the rebel groups convene." She felt like she had the first time she met Finn and Jake. Marceline almost wanted to find a pair of sunglasses to add to the cool atmosphere she was portraying. Plus, she knew any swift movements towards Bonnibel could startle her, maybe even jump into Marceline's arms for protection. No, Bonnibel would never do that, she was far too stubborn. But it would truly be the red icing to the cake if she did.

"Rebel groups?" Bonnibel exclaimed, thinking back to the few meetings she had spied on. There were a handful of her people that wanted to believe she was some sort of alien, but it was completely harmless. Or at least it had been since she had shut down her spying operation.

"Oh, you know, bunches of people get this stupid idea in their head that they can beat the system. My dad likes to let them get their hopes up before putting it down. Causes more chaos that way. Unfortunately," she poked her head out of the alley, looking both ways down the street. "I don't particularly know what stage they're in."

"Is that important?" Bonnibel asked, adjusting her bag as she stepped next to her. The place reminded PB a lot of the ruins of the human civilizations, decorated with the every so often disheveled demon or critter. Marceline simply looked back at her giving a small chuckle and playfully ruffling the top of her hair.

"You're adorable. Of course it is. The further along, the more chance there is in running into them and getting into trouble. Which we certainly don't want. Speaking of which," she looked at the princess, eyes scanning over as Bonnibel felt herself getting nervous. Instantly, she thought to the dream from earlier and to how uncomfortably similar Marceline's look matched the one she was giving now. "We're gonna need to tone down the 'I'm a princess' look until we get out of here. Just in case." She reached for Bonnibel's tiara, plucking it from her head and gesturing to Bonnibel to put it away. As Bonnibel tucked it into her duffle bag, Marceline found a small pile of ash, rubbing some on her hands and then transferring it to Bonnibel's face. The princess winced, wrinkling her nose in disgust as Marceline tried to give the girl some sort of roughness. Sadly it wasn't working.

"How do I look?" Bonnibel asked as Marceline puffed in defeat, shrugging her shoulders.

"Like the Candy Princess rubbed some dirt on her face." Bonnibel twisted her mouth to the side in thought before quickly snapping her fingers as she gripped her long hair. Swiftly she tore away the bubblegum strands, cropping her hair so that is was several inches off of her shoulders. Marceline blinked, startled as Bonnibel shook some ash into the choppy strands, shifting her view from the princess to the glob of bubblegum hair on the floor. She knew that the princess was effectively candy, but always forgot that her hair was truly bubblegum. Part of her wanted to touch it, to see if it was sticky and goopy like actual bubblegum. But instead her hands remained firmly in their pockets, knowing that would look weird. She had never considered it before but Bonnibel looked nice with short hair. "I…um…I guess that works. Come on, we should get going," she muttered, quickly walking past to hide her blush.

They snuck along the sides of the buildings, every so often ducking into one at the sound of people. Bonnibel couldn't help how exhilarating it was, trying to continuously remind herself that her life was in danger. Then again, she supposed this was what Finn felt like every day. She could see the attraction to it.

"When are we gonna hit the place?" Someone whispered, walking by the small break in the wall that the two women had tucked themselves into. Marceline had her attention focused on the street, but Bonnibel was just trying to look anywhere except the vampire. They were forced to stand against each other, front to front, their backs against the two opposite walls. Even on the ground Marceline was taller than Bonnibel and the situation made the princess realize just how perfect her head could fit into the curve of Marcy's neck. No, poor thoughts at a time like this.

"In the next week. We'll hit that place from the line. They won't be expecting it," they grinned, continuing as Marceline shimmied free, helping Bonnibel out soon after. The vampire continued to watch them walk away, frowning before shaking her head and turning back to the street.

"They always do that. It's just gonna get them killed," she muttered.

"Is there no way you couldn't just help them?" Bonnibel asked, surprised that she was supporting a violent rebellion group trying to take over a kingdom. Marceline simply chuckled as she pulled to a slow walk.

"Because that would do more harm than help," she stated, the answer far from satisfying. But before Bonnibel could press for more, they broke out of the narrow streets and Bonnibel looked upon the land of the Nightosphere. A gasp fell from the princess at the terrifying and exciting landscape. "Here we are," Marceline puffed, rubbing the back of her neck. She was hesitant that the candy princess might scorn the place. Despite Marceline's own hesitation to return, it was still her home, and Bonnibel's opinion was…well…important.

"It's…amazing," she breathed, bringing a soft smile to Marceline's thin lips, leaning towards her to point off to the far corner. Across what looked like a red sea stretched an intimidating structure built partially into the rocky cliffs. A long line trailed out of it, the end diving into the sea. Every so often someone would be hurdled from one of the large windows and the line would shift up. Bonnibel wasn't sure if she should be disgusted or intrigued.

"That's where I live. Well, technically that's where my dad lives." Bonnibel nodded, watching as Marceline carefully pulled PB's bag from her shoulders. "You'll need to hop on for this bit," she remarked, gripping one bag in each hand before leaning forward and resting a peck on Bonnibel's cheek. Marceline had the intentions of it being casual, like a confidence builder for what she was asking. But instead Bonnibel back peddled, reaching up and resting her fingers delicately on her scolding hot cheek.

"Wh-what was that for?" She stammered, Marceline's eyes growing big in confusion.

"I…I was just doing what you did earlier. I don't know, I thought it would help." Marceline sounded like a child, inexperienced and far more resembling her appeared age rather than her actual.

"What I did…oh my Glob," Bonnibel wasn't sure her skin could blush that dark as she remembered back to that moment. "I wasn't even paying attention. I hadn't meant to do it on purpose. Marcy…I guess I just had some much going in my head…" she trailed off, worried she was about to expose something more personal than she was willing. Quickly, Marceline pulled back, forcing her embarrassment and disappointment away as she gave a hard and sarcastic laugh.

"Calm down, Bonnie. It was just a friendly peck on the cheek. No need to make such a big deal about it. Come on, let's get going before you decide to panic about anything else." Bonnibel hesitated, staring at Marceline's back as a frown pulled on her features. She hated how quickly Marceline could discard emotions and make everything the punch line of some sarcastic joke. It wasn't fair and only made it more impossible for Bonnibel to fully accept the feelings boiling inside of her.


	5. Chapter 5

Sadly, Marceline was the only one of them that knew the safe places to go. So gingerly she climbed onto Marcy's back, gripping tighter as the vampire left the ground and started floating towards the structure. Upon closer inspection, Bonnibel discovered that the red sea was in fact a massive crowd of waiting demons. Bonnibel's curiosity made it impossible for her to follow any sort of spiteful silent treatment towards Marceline.

"Why don't they just come back later?" Bonnibel asked, immediately feeling like she had asked Marceline a stupid question. Marceline chuckled, adjusting the bags in her hands.

"Because it's always like that, all day, all night, all year. My dad likes to use it as a way to keep people constantly on edge."

"Why in the world would he want that?" Bonnibel asked as they drifted through one of the large windows in the front and Bonnibel immediately had her questioned answered. Before her stretched even more lines, all leading up to a fearsome creature that Bonnibel could only assume to be Marceline's father. It was massive, practically breaking through the ceiling. It had one eye with dozens of tentacles slithering where a mouth would be. The strangest part, though, was that it seemed to be wearing a suit.

"Because that's just how the Nightosphere works. You see why I don't want to rule over it?" Marceline commented, drifting closer to the creature as Bonnibel gripped tighter out of fear. "Hey, daddy. I'm here, this is my friend, and we'll be in my room." The greeting was quick but caught the creature's attention as its head slowly turned towards them.

_Marceline, you're early. Do you want to help? Maybe your friend? What did you say her name was?_

"Nope, we're good," Marceline commented, ignoring his other question as she finally touched down near a small door. Velvet ropes blocked off the demons from nearing the space as Bonnibel carefully dismounted. This was all so fascinating, especially the demons waiting about. She wanted to study them and document all of their unique attributes.

"Hey, hey, Marcy! It's me, Tommy." A small red demon started excitedly jumping up and down against the rope, catching the attention of two larger winged demons that Bonnibel assumed to be guards. "Is there anyway you could put a good word in for me? Maybe bump me up in line?" Marceline glanced towards the creature, giving a soft sigh as she handed Bonnibel back her duffle. She hated when demons recognized her. In fact, that was the main reason they had snuck their way out of that neighborhood. During Marceline's younger days she had lead some of those rebellions just to get back at dear old daddy. She didn't want to have to explain to the guys that she had been leading them into their deaths without so much as a second thought. Of course…that was in her younger days. But it was still something she was too shameful to confess to Bonnibel.

"You know it's not gonna matter, Tommy. Every time you come back here you ask for the same thing and my dad always says no."

"Yeah, but I'm feeling good about this time!" He cheered, making Marceline smirk and step up to the velvet rope. He was about two feet shorter than the Vampire Queen as she playfully scratched the space between his petite horns.

"It's the demons like you that make my dad's work a nightmare. Keep it up, Tommy," she praised, leaving him with a pat before gesturing to Bonnibel to follow. Demons like Tommy were rare in the Nightosphere. They were the few that saw hope in this dark place. For as small as Tommy was, he had enough hope to tear down this whole kingdom simply from his determination.

The moment they stepped through the door, the feeling of being in the Nightosphere disappeared as Bonnibel looked upon a normal kitchen. It was covered in a somewhat tacky collection of tile and linoleum, but it was simple and homey as Marceline continued through the far door. The kitchen gave way to a large living space, unkempt as Marceline grumbled about her father forgetting to clean up. And then finally she opened a normal looking door to the space that was clearly Marceline's. The walls were rock, like the rest of the building, but decorated in just as many band posters as her room back in Ooo. Her bed looked big and formidable with spikes on the footboard and a dragon's head and wings on the headboard. The rest looked a lot like her old room, except for the small pile of forgotten demon-looking stuffed toys shoved in a corner.

"I figure we could just share the bed," she commented, dropping her bag onto the royal-sized mattress. "I mean, like, we could put a pillow in the middle or whatever," Marceline corrected, giving a nervous cough as her sneakers were kicked towards one of the walls.

But the princess wasn't really paying attention. In fact she had spent their short walk from the Throne Room thinking about what the Vampire Queen had said. "Marcy," Bonnibel started, stepping across the room as she wiped her on-hand handkerchief over her face till the smudges were gone. "What you said to Tommy back there…what did you mean?" She asked, making Marceline's shoulders sag. This was the issue of bringing someone from the land of Ooo to the Nightosphere. They expected that things could change, that someone could just make it all stop. But that wasn't how things worked down here. They just had to learn to accept that. Unfortunately for Marceline, she had brought Bonnibel with her. And what that meant was that rather than telling Finn "because the sky is red" she would have to fully explain it to the scientist. Maybe her dad wouldn't appreciate such "secrets" being revealed, but she trusted Bonnibel. Plus, someone needed to know other than the royal family.

"The Nightosphere is built on a very rigid system. A heavy amount of order creates a heavy amount of chaos. Which is how my father likes it. Every millennium or two, though, society starts to balance out, to believe…to hope. That's when my father breaks. He gives one demon the chance to join the land of Ooo and then lets the Red Sea burn." Bonnibel gawked at how nonchalant Marceline seemed to be about it all, thinking back to the hordes of demons waiting in line. She couldn't begin to estimate a number. "The reason is to show how little of a point there is to hoping. Riots then happen, demon-guards are forced to act, and chaos ensues. The Nightosphere then returns to how it was."

"That's…that's monstrous, Marceline," Bonnibel stuttered, unable to control her thoughts. The vampire frowned, arms crossed over her chest. It wasn't an unexpected reaction, but maybe a little harsher than Marceline was expecting from Bonnibel. Marceline felt like she knew more about Bonnibel than a lot of people. She knew she wasn't perfect and knew she wasn't all about gumdrops and rainbows. Bonnibel was a logical woman that thought logically. But it seemed even the Nightosphere's acts were too dark for the Candy Princess to accept strictly on logistics.

"Well then now you can see why I don't want to run the place," Marceline stated firmly.

"But if you feel so strongly against it than maybe you could change it!" PB exclaimed, stepping towards Marceline, a sympathetic look on her face. Marceline's frown only deepened as she shifted forward, accepting the challenge Bonnibel hadn't meant to present.

"You don't get it, PB! I don't just sit on the throne like myself. I _become_ my father. That thing you saw out there? That'll be me. I'll think all of this makes sense to me." She barred her teeth, forked tongue flicking angrily with each word. Bonnibel tightened her fists, but she wasn't able to hold her forced angry expression. She could hear how difficult it was for Marceline to admit these facts. "And even if I could remain how I am…the world can't have the Nightosphere change." Marceline's voice softened, backing down and wrapping her arms around herself. A heavy sigh fell from the vampire, chin tilted down as her eyes glanced back up. "You don't understand how lucky you have it in Ooo, Bon-Bon. You get to live in the happy medium. The Nightosphere _has_ to work in both extremes in order to keep the whole of the world in balance. How else do you think the human's all died out?"

Bonnibel blinked, her scientific mind processing the information as it flipped through generations of knowledge. Marceline had an odd point, and one that was strengthened with each major event in time. The humans had begun to destroy themselves. Bonnibel thought back to her spy system, to her constant upgrades in security, to her constant strives for complete order in the land of Ooo. How close was she to bringing her own people to their demise?

"Let's…not talk about this anymore," Marceline requested as Bonnibel gave a small nod. Both of them had realized this was not a topic they were comfortable talking about. Mostly because it involved dealing with the thousands upon thousands of lives being mutilated. So instead, Bonnibel excused herself to the bathroom attached to the room. She stared at herself in the mirror, pushing at the cropped waves of pink hair. It was so odd feeling this light and free. But she could only wonder how much of a panic her people would have at her new appearance. Even when she was out of her princess attire they would have a minor anxiety attack. But she sort of liked it, combing her fingers through the soft strands before wiping out as much ash as she could without taking a shower.


	6. Chapter 6

"Marcy-bear?" There was a loud groan from the room as Bonnibel poked her head out the door to see Marceline sprawled out on the bed.

"What is it, dad?" She hissed, not making any effort to get up and open the door.

"I wanted to say hello and meet your friend." It sounded civil and yet Marceline didn't move as a tense silence settled between them. "Don't make me say it, Marcy," the man begged as Bonnibel raised a confused brow. Suddenly, harsh gagging sounded behind the door as Marceline's father struggled through the word "Please." But as he finished it Marcy was up, drifting across the room and opening the door.

Abadeer looked far different than he had minutes before. For one he was about the tenth of the size and looked a lot more like Marceline than a one-eyed tentacle-headed demon. Now, his skin was blue – a little bluer than Marceline's even – and he wore a very sharp and black hair cut – far from Marceline's unruly mess of hair. His smile was just as toothy and he still wore the expensive and well-tailored suit on his slim body. "Hello, Marceline," he greeted, leaning forward and pecking a gentle kiss on her cheek as Marceline rolled her eyes. Instantly she was floating away, hand casually rubbing at the spot his lips had touched.

"Hello, daddy. This is my friend-"

"Princess Bubblegum!" He cheered, striding across the room with his hand extended. Gingerly Bonnibel took it, a shiver rolling up her spine at how icy his skin was against hers. "I'm sorry I was unable to recognize you before. Have you done something new with your hair?" He was trying to be friendly, at least that's what Bonnibel assumed. In truth, she couldn't stop looking at his dead eyes and how unsettling they were to her. Even if they matched Marceline's dark ones, Bonnibel still felt like Marceline's held some sort of warmth. As if Bonnibel could see something living behind them.

"Stop it, dad," Marceline begged as Abadeer simply chuckled, taking his hand back and promptly wiping it off on the front of his shirt.

"You should have told me you had become friends with the Candy Princess, Marcy. Much better than that human and mutt you always bring," he commented, referring to Finn and Jake like they were talking about the weather.

"Dad! Glob, why do you always have to be like this?" Marceline hissed, floating towards him as Bonnibel cleared her throat, attempting to ease the situation on her own.

"I have always wished to visit the Nightosphere," she cooed, stopping the pair in their discussion. Marceline's father grinned, the sight unnatural and frightening. "Marceline recommended visiting with her for a few days. Unfortunately," she yawned, politely covering her mouth, "I fear I have not been able to get much sleep with all of the traveling." At that Abadeer bowed his head, retreating back to the doorway. She was glad he was so attentive. Bonnibel felt like she used that excuse constantly with Finn and it almost never worked unless she could get through to Jake first.

"Of course, Your Highness. I will leave the two of you to get some rest. Let me know if you need anything. And Marceline, dear, would you mind speaking with me privately when you have the chance?"

"Yes I would," Marcline snapped, moving to the door and swiftly closing it in his face.

"Your father seems…"

"Aggravating? Infuriating? Nosey?" Marceline threw out a handful of words, making Bonnibel giggle as she shook her head.

"Like he's trying very hard to impress someone."

"Please, tell me you're not impressed with him," Marceline begged, hovering above the spiked footboard as Bonnibel went to her bag to find a comfortable change of clothes. Marceline felt embarrassed by her father constantly. Unfortunately, unlike most women her age, their father wasn't the King of demons and constantly trying to shove the family business onto her lap. Marceline sometimes felt like if she gave him any sort of slack she wouldn't be able to prevent him from tricking her onto the throne again.

"Not me, silly. You. Don't you see it?" She asked, but Marceline had turned her face away. No, she hadn't seen it. But she didn't try to see a lot when she was with her father. After all, that private meeting he wanted was going to just be him lecturing her about joining the family business. That was not what she wanted to do during this visit.

Bonnibel clicked her tongue in annoyance as she dug carefully through her bag, finally stopping. "I hate to ask this, but do you have something I could wear for sleeping? I seemed to have forgotten that," she giggled nervously as Marceline nodded, drifting towards a wardrobe.

"What happened to that t-shirt I gave you? I thought you said you always wore that for PJs?" Marceline commented, quite happy to move on to a different topic. Carefully she fingered through some clothes that the vampire left here for emergencies. Then again, most of the time Marceline just brought her own clothes. This was probably the first time she had really used any of the ones she kept in these drawers since the last time she had lived here – which was a long time ago and not for very long. In fact, she still had a few shirts in here that she wore when she was a little girl.

"Oh," Marceline turned back, a grey graphic t-shirt in her hands a long with a pair of black sweatpants. Colorful as always. "I…um…lost it, during a visit to the Breakfast Kingdom. I think Breakfast Princess stole it or something. You know how she is with clothes in an out of style," she lied as Marceline smirked and gave a small shrug.

In truth, she was a little upset that the girl had lost it so casually. That had been her favorite band t-shirt and she had given it to Bonnibel during one of their sleepovers. She had somewhat hoped to get it back after a while but after what happened with the Door Lord and all of that…she just couldn't. There was something that made her warm and tingly to know that Bonnibel cherished the small article of clothing as much as she did. Especially since her overall opinion of the band was average. It made Marceline believe more that Bonnibel like the shirt simply because it had been hers before. Though if she didn't seem that bothered by losing it…maybe Marceline had been wrong.

"Bummer, but hey, I think that band is playing near the Candy Kingdom in the next few weeks. We could go to it and get you another shirt." The offer was generous and made Bonnibel smile and nod politely, but it wouldn't be the same. Bonnibel didn't care about the band on the shirt as she returned to the bathroom to change. She wanted that feeling of Marceline that the other one held. Even the grey shirt didn't bring the same sort of warmth as she stepped back into the bedroom.

"Give me an hour," Bonnibel offered, sliding under the covers and giving a larger yawn. "I just need some time to recharge and all."

"Sure thing, PB. Take all the time you need." Bonnibel rested her head on the pillow, and suddenly her entire world was filled with the scent of Marceline. It made Bonnibel give a soft purr as she settled into a heavy slumber, the vampire lingering only for a moment. Bonnibel was such a peaceful sleeper, so still and graceful looking under the covers. Marceline practically had to drag herself out of the room just to keep from combing the few strands of hair out of the princess's face. They'd already crossed a line or two on their personal space. Although, Marceline was still beating herself up for discarding her cheek-kiss so quickly.


	7. Chapter 7

She drifted from her room, deciding she would give the princess the silence she needed. It was a bit of a break in the plans she had lined up – which mostly meant avoiding her father at all costs – but she was willing to give PB the opportunity. The last thing Marceline wanted was for Bonnibel to be half asleep the whole time that she was here.

"Ah, Marcy, glad you could take a moment," her father responded, the formal tone surprising Marceline. Slowly he glanced around her, seeing the door closed and then giving a chuckle. "I never thought you had it in you, Marcy-bear," Abadeer cooed, settling himself in his luscious reading chair. He scooped his ankle onto his knee, elbows resting on both armrests with his fingertips pressed gently together. "You found a way to bring the Candy Princess into our realm by her own will!" A spine tingling grin settled onto his face. Marceline could see when her father was cooking up something she wasn't going to like.

"What are you even talking about?"

"Do you not know the benefits of absorbing a soul such as hers? Both a princess and ancient? There's no other on this earth other than you that have the same qualities." Marceline knew Bonnibel was far older than she put on, she knew it before Finn did. Mostly because she had run into Bonnibel multiple times back her more rowdy days. Even then she hadn't considered actually harming the princess, she could cause far more chaos by just fooling with the lands around her.

"What are you trying to get at?" Marceline hesitantly asked, hovering over the long leather couch. Her father responded by letting his forked tongue slither over his lips hungrily.

"The power to gain from a soul like hers could completely reverse the world order."

"You've got to be kidding me," Marceline groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Dad, you know we can't do that," she explained as he chuckled at her like she was four years old again. A well-practiced scowl hissed in his direction but he paid no mind.

"Do you remember all of those times you told me to be more merciful? To give more demons their desires? With Princess Bubblegum's soul we, as a family, will have the power to release the population of the Nightosphere onto the lands of Ooo. To make them ours!" He leaned forward, clenching his fist possessively. Marceline snapped up, startled by her father's hunger for the woman in the other room. She had somewhat predicted some interested in the princess from her father…but nothing like this. "Don't give me that look, Marcy," he smirked, pushing off his knees to stand with her. "You always knew there was a reason she had never been here. But I am proud of you," he smiled, almost lovingly – if that was even possible. "And as your first act as joining leader of the Nightosphere, I will allow you the first taste of her soul."

Marceline retreated as her father stepped forward, legs hitting the back of the couch and making her stumble in the air. "Daddy, what are you talking about? I didn't bring her here for you! I brought her because she is my friend. And I told you I don't want to rule this place! You're absolutely crazy!" He simply continued to laugh, sharp teeth barred as he advanced on the vampire.

"Now, now, Marceline, do as your father asks," he purred. Marceline returned with a snarl, her fact shifting into that of a feral wolf. Her father copied her, growing in size despite the small room.

"Take it from her, Marceline Abadeer! Or I shall take all of it!" He commanded, looking down on his young daughter. Fear was absent from her features, dark eyes turned up at the monster she was unfortunately related to. Her face returned to normal as she balled up her fists.

"You'll have to get through me, then, dad!" Tempers sparked between the father and daughter, Marceline breaking it as she swiftly slid back into her room, turning the latch to lock the door. They wouldn't have much time till her father lost all ability of being civil.

Bonnibel had heard the last half of the argument, something about Marceline taking something or whatever. She was sitting up in bed, her knees to her chest and looking at Marceline curiously as the woman dropped her bookshelf in front of the door. "Bringing you here…might have been a mistake," Marceline admitted, grabbing her bag and tossing Bonnibel hers.

"What's going on?" Just then the door swelled before a firm punch from her father broke a hole in the wood. Bonnibel jumped, clambering from the bed and backing up against the farthest wall.

"She's right there, Marcy! Just take it!" He shouted as Marceline chucked a fallen book at the gap, hitting near the hole and then grabbing at Bonnibel's hand. She pulled her into the bathroom, closing and locking the door as well. Unlike her home in Ooo, there were no windows since it was built into the rock. But this fortunately wasn't Marceline's first attempt to sneak out of the fortress without her father seeing.

"What is going on, Marceline?" Bonnibel demanded, watching as the Vampire opened the cabinet below the sink, kicking her foot against the back to expose a false wall. A dark hole stretched behind it and the vampire quickly climbed in, the space barely big enough to fit her on all fours.

"I'll explain later."

"No, you'll explain now," there was another slam from outside, Marceline's father clearly in her room. She looked up at the princess, pleading for her to stop being so stubborn for once.

"My father…wants your soul. And I said no. Now can we please get a move on?" She begged, the door handle jiggling firmly as Bonnibel quickly nodded, fear settled into her bones as she climbed in after Marceline. The vampire instructed her to fix the cabinet and the false wall, completing it just before her father broke into the bathroom. They could hear the echoes of his frustrated shouts as they crawled through the darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

Bonnibel was blind, feeling around the tunnel and hoping that Marceline wouldn't lead her to her death. How had everything gone so sour so quickly? One minute she was drifting off to sleep and the next her soul was in danger and Marceline was tugging her down a hole. There had to be more to this that Marceline was refusing to tell her. Like always.

"Wait…where are we even going? I still don't understand what is happening," the princess whined, stopping Marceline as she looked over her shoulder. Her eyes blinked clearly through the darkness, seeing the somewhat purple hue of Bonnibel's skin and how her eyes darted around for some distinguishable figure. To be honest, Marceline was asking herself the same questions.

"I…I don't know, but this tunnel should let us out in the middle of the city and we should be able to find our way back to the portal easily enough. I knew this was a bad idea," she muttered, turning back around to continue forward as Bonnibel scurried after.

"Then why did you offer to bring me along?" Bonnibel asked, the question innocent enough but it still pooled a blush on Marceline's cheeks.

"Again, I don't really know," Marceline admitted, the act a little rough on her ego.

"Why don't you try?" Her voice was oddly soft, trying to support the Vampire Queen through her obviously conflicted thoughts. The half-demon rolled her lips together, tongue feeling nervously along her pointed fangs before she stopped at what seemed like a dead end. Bonnibel crashed into Marceline, not realizing she had stopped as the vampire turned, hand reaching to grip her face. It was to help steady her but at the touch Bonnibel's eyes snapped to Marceline's. The vampire's mouth opened, attempting to will the right words forward but her tongue just grew dry.

Bonnibel searched Marceline's dark features, her eyes having adjusted just enough to see the sharp outlines of her face with her close proximity. She had literally and figuratively cornered the woman with her request and Bonnibel felt an odd swell of pride in her chest. For once she wasn't the one being flustered by the vampire. Was it for the reasons she thought? The reasons she too had been conflicted and bothered?

"I…I wanted to see you smile," Marceline whispered, surprised she had finally been able to vocalize the thoughts in her head. PB's skin darkened at the confession as Marceline forced a sheepish smile and let her hand fall, "I would have done anything to get you to smile again." Bonnibel continued to stare; brows sloped with a look of pity as she leaned towards the vampire. But suddenly Marceline was gone, turning back to the dead end and giving it a swift kick with her heel. She could see what Bonnibel wanted and there was nothing that Marceline wanted more than to fall into it. But old habits die-hard and running for the hills seemed easier.

At the force of her kick a large boulder rolled out of the way, splashing red light into the tunnel and making both women squint to adjust. Marceline was the first to scramble out, turning towards Bonnibel to offer her hand but the princess ignored it, pulling herself up with a look of annoyance towards Marceline. If the vampire wanted to change her emotions so quickly, then so would she. As spiteful and childish as it may seem Bonnibel was not sure she was willing to sit and take it anymore. Marceline's constant pushing and pulling was wearing and confusing on the inexperienced princess. She needed a defined answer, a yes or a no. She could take it if the vampire wanted to walk away from all of this but the fact that Bonnibel believed she didn't made it even more infuriating that Marceline wouldn't just give in.

"We're only about a five minute walk-"

_Oh princess!_ Came a booming voice through the Nightosphere, making the two women looked up and around in fear. _I believe you forgot something of yours. You might wish to reclaim it. I wouldn't want it to fall into the wrong hands._ Bonnibel's stomach turned at the words as she reached into the duffle bag on her hip. Frantically she dug about, waiting for the sensation of cool metal against her fingers. But the deeper she dug the more she remembered when she was looking for clothes to sleep in. She had pulled out her tiara and rested it on the nearby nightstand as not to damage it in her bag. And now Marceline's father had it in his clawed grasp.

"What is he talking about?" Marceline asked, watching PB panic in her search through her bag.

"My tiara…I…I left it in your room. I forgot to grab it before we ran."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Marceline looked over her shoulder worried she would see an army of demons running towards them. Quickly she grabbed for Bonnibel's hand to drag her into the depths of the ruined city. "Well I'm sure you have plenty of extras in that closet of yours." Bonnibel pulled her hand sharply back, startling Marceline with a deep frown.

"While I understand that I do not live in the same materialistic level as you, Marceline, it does not mean I deserve to be the punch line of your jokes. Besides…that's the only one I have. It holds a jewel of power, given to each princess and used in unison to reach the center of the universe. If your father has even a fragment of it and pairs it with another he will have the ability to harness the powers of the universe. We cannot just walk away!"

"Okay, okay, rein it back," Marceline scowled, looking back towards her father's fortress and then turning to the city. They were so close to getting out of here but Bonnibel had to go and forget the one thing that apparently held the entire world in balance. What an idiot.

"Does your father have access to another jewel?" Bonnibel questioned, pulling Marceline's attention back to her. She truly did have quite the beautiful features when she was in a state of deep problem solving. No, that was not what Marceline should be thinking about at a time like this.

"Any idea as to what it would look like?" Marceline puffed, running her fingers through her hair to try and smooth out her impatient tone. She wanted to get out of here, to go home and laugh about how silly this whole adventure was.

"Like any sort of jewel, the only difference would be the power it would put off." At Bonnibel's comment Marceline suddenly snapped to a more serious state in the conversation. She knew what she was talking about.

"Come on," she waved at Bonnibel, floating towards the city to look for their path back to the Candy Kingdom.

"Marceline, wait!" Bonnibel called, scowling at the retreating vampire. Always with the running (or floating) away. Why couldn't she just face her for once? State what she was thinking and see what would happen rather than throwing caution to the wind and leaving everyone in the dark. "Marceline stop! Tell me where you're going now or so help me I'll…I'll…" The beginning of Bonnibel's threat stopped Marceline, making the vampire turn and startling the princess some as she swooped towards her. This wasn't the first time Bonnibel had made an empty threat in her direction. That was their entire relationship all of those centuries ago. At this point Marceline enjoyed just watching the girl become speechless.

"You'll what? Send your banana guards in here to steal your crown back? Good luck with that." She smirked, making Bonnibel set her jaw, grinding the sugary bones in annoyance.

"Or maybe I'll just walk in there alone. Your father doesn't scare me like he does with you." It was an unfair remark, Bonnibel knew that. But Marceline was just so frustrating at times with her constant fooling around and flirting and not flirting and she simply couldn't take it anymore! "I don't run away from my problems, Marceline. I solve them." Bonnibel turned on her heel, walking back towards the fortress with her chin raised high.

"Just like you solved the problem in the Fire Kingdom?" Marcy's comment stopped Bonnie in her tracks. It hadn't been very long since Marcy's stay in the Fire Kingdom and she still had friends that she chatted with and visited from time to time. She'd even spent some time with Phoebe, who was awesome in all versions of the word. But in it she had picked up on rumors of trouble in the kingdom and she had known PB long enough to pick up on the patterns. And now Bonnibel's question from earlier was making sense; she needed someone to tell her the choices she made towards the Fire Kingdom were good ones.

"What are you talking about?" She questioned as Marceline gave a heavy scoff, eyes turning towards the horizon again.

"Don't play dumb with me, Bon-Bon. I know what you've been trying to do, what you've been trying to do with everyone. You squish them under your thumb the moment they start to out-shine you. Have you actually _spoken_ to Phoebe? Like two normal people would? She doesn't give two licks towards your kingdom. She thinks her brother's insane and would much rather rule her kingdom in peace rather than start up an unnecessary war." Bonnibel frowned as Marceline started to drift towards her, off in the distance a line of demons had begun to poke over the crest of a hill. "You send Finn and Jake after Simon every chance you get just to make sure he never has a chance to 'destroy Ooo.' When in reality he doesn't care about that anymore. He just wants people to stop destroying his tower." Bonnibel's face turned down towards the ground as Marceline moved closer. "You want to believe that you're the sweetest princess in all of Ooo. But you're not, you're not even a princess."

Each remark felt like a knife in her belly. Bonnibel was trembling, wrapping her arms around herself at the truth Marceline was spewing at her. Why was she doing this? Why was she being so cruel? A tear trickled down her cheek as Marceline pulled gently at her chin. Bonnibel's big blue eyes looked up at the vampire, surprised to find that it wasn't decorated with a victorious smirk.

"Almost a millennium and you still think I don't know anything about you, princess. But out of all of Ooo…I know you better than even you do." The vampire finished as Bonnibel sniffled, Marceline's swiping thumb catching another falling tear.

"But what is that even supposed to mean? You spew hurtful words towards me all the time like it's some sort of game," her voice shook with her shoulders as Marceline let her feet touch the ground, ignoring the guards in the distance. Delicately she gripped Bonnibel's face in both hands, keeping her body from running away. She hated the idea of dealing with serious and sad experiences. But if they didn't get over this hurdle now, Bonnibel was going to be in more trouble than Marceline wanted to think of.

"Because I know how strong you are. No matter what obstacle steps in your way you overcome it without hesitation. You do what you think has to be done. And for a long time it was always right. But times have changed, Ooo has changed, and you've changed too." A somewhat proud smile pulled on Marceline's lips, "I do what I do to make sure I don't lose the woman I met all of those centuries ago. When you were nothing more than Bonnibel."


	9. Chapter 9

Marceline could remember it like it was yesterday. She had finally filled into her full and womanly figure and had begun to see the…advantages to such an appearance. Unlike her wardrobe now, a lot of her clothing was cut short to expose as much skin as possible. She'd shaved half of her head and dyed the bangs a startling red. No one with blood in their veins could stop her hunger. She wasn't the little girl anymore that needed someone to hold her hand and tell her what was right and wrong. She would make her own decisions now.

That's when she ran into Bonnibel, exploring through the ruins of the humans before her. Marceline was hiding in a run down diner that she had turned into one of her daytime homes. She was playing on her new bass, adjusting the strings along the shaft of the axe till they sounded just right.

"Hmm, it seems the soils in these areas don't have the right chemical components to support sugar construction," Bonnibel spoke loudly to herself. She lifted up some debris to expose the dirt ground, kicking a loose rock with the toe of her boot. Bonnibel hadn't always dressed so pink. In fact, her skin used to be a much fairer shade, almost peach and human-like. The pink hair, though, was an ever constant and she had it flung over one of her shoulders with a packed shoulder bag over the other.

Marceline shifted in her seat, realizing Bonnibel looked like the first being that wasn't some radioactive zombie, sickly scavenger, or monster. Truthfully, Marceline thought she was looking at a human that had started to go along the same route as Simon. But while his curse rested in the crown, hers must've been from the blue jewel around her neck that swung two and frown with each step.

Swiftly, the vampire was in the air, grabbing a somewhat tarnished sunhat and covering her head as she opened the door. The dented bell gave a twang that resembled a jingle and alerted the pinkish woman to her audience. Immediately she jumped and stumbled back at the sight of Marceline. "Afternoon," the vampire purred, resting her back on the doorframe to keep her fragile skin in the shade. "Can't say I've seen many of you walking around here. A little thing like you outta be careful, all manner of monsters hunt on these streets." She couldn't hide her predatory grin with her unnatural drawl, letting her feet touch on the ground as she gestured into the diner. "Why don't you come in for a little? Take a load off?" Bonnibel looked at Marceline and then down the debris-covered street. She didn't know the next time she would see a safe place to set up camp for the evening. Maybe it would be best for the time being…but she planned to keep an eye on the strange woman.

"Thank you," she greeted, smile small and innocent, seemingly unaware of Marceline's attention on the blood-pumping heart beating under her chest.

"Anytime. The name's Marceline," she introduced, not yet at the point of accepting her title of Queen of the Vampires. That wouldn't be for another few decades.

"Bonnibel," she responded, dropping her bag onto a table and beginning to pull out a collection of supplies. They were everything she had scavenged from her travels: partially burned books, damaged beakers, and containers of strange glowing liquids. It was interesting enough to pull Marceline's attention away from the meal before her.

"What's all of this then, Bony-Bell?" Marceline asked, picking up one of the containers of bright yellow liquid and immediately Bonnibel reached for it with a sheepish smile.

"Bonnibel," she corrected, carefully returning the solution to the table. "They're chemical compounds that I've found in my travels. I find they react best with sugar-based products." Out came a damaged journal, several pieces of paper sticking out from the edges with scratches and cuts all over the leather binding.

"What, like candy?" Marceline questioned, floating upside down to get her nose close to the solution without touching it. Anxiously, Bonnibel shifted it just out of reach; worried the stranger would tamper and eventually ruin her samples.

"Exactly like candy. Watch," she reached for her hair, stretching a chunk from the bottom until it snapped free…just like bubblegum. Marceline blinked in amazement, eyes wide as Bonnibel rested the small glob on the table and grabbed for the yellow solution, carefully placing two drops on the top. For a second nothing happened and then it shuddered, bounced, and eventually two big eyes popped onto the surface, staring up at the pair and getting extremely excited. "I unfortunately do not have all of the resources for a much bigger experiment, but I hope when I find a place to make home…I'll be able to do more."

Marceline remembered looking at Bonnibel, seeing her excitement of the unknown and her lack of care towards the concern for failure was almost inspiring. "What the Glob made you want to do all of this anyway? I mean I can't imagine you just decided to go for a walk one day and build up some sort of candy kingdom." Bonnibel giggled, plucking the small pet from the table and settling herself into a nearby chair. Marceline continued to observe her, realizing she had never met someone so unaware of the dangers of the world. Or maybe Bonnibel knew the dangers but simply chose not to let them keep her down.

"My father did. Well, technically he isn't my biological father…but he created me and that's good enough," she smiled.

"So…you're not human then?" Marceline's stomach growled at the rejection of food as Bonnibel's smile faded, eyes turning up from the blob and towards the vampire.

"I'm whatever I want to be. Why should it matter otherwise?" Marceline's silence answered the question as Bonnibel gave a sad puff and continued. "My father was a brilliant scientist. And in that he could see the direction humanity was going and wanted to try and find a way to extend their influence into the future. So he created me, pretty much out of what he had on hand," Bonnibel giggled at the thought as Marceline sat crisscross applesauce in the air. Eyes big like a little child during story time. "He taught me everything I needed to know about biology and chemistry and life in general." Her smile then faded, "When the invasions came he hid me away, hoping I would stay safe from all harm. When I was free everything was destroyed. Since then I've been looking for a way to rebuild the people my father had put so much faith in. To make them better," Bonnibel's smile started to slowly returned as she petted the top of the bubblegum blob. "To make them more accepting and less afraid."

"You've been trying to do _that_? You're living in a fantasy, princess," Marceline scoffed, drifting back towards her bass and plucking it from the table. "You're talking about some sort of perfect place that just doesn't exist."

"Oh, but it will," Bonnibel insisted, jumping to her feet as the blob bounced up her arm and rested on her shoulder. "I plan to create a euphoria for anyone and everyone. Even you Marceline."

"Cute," the vampire chuckled, strumming delicately at the strings. "But I think you've got a little too much sugar in that head of yours. Because there's no way you can just pretend that bad things don't happen. I mean look at your old man. He's dead like the rest of the humans, you can't ignore that." Marceline was trying to get something out of the woman, to cause some chaos where there otherwise was none. She couldn't help herself. Call it part of her genes with her father still down in the Nightosphere. If he didn't want her down there, then she would happily live that same life up here. Plus it was easier to cause pain to those not expecting it. Demons weren't as much fun.

But rather than shouting or tears or any sign of being upset, Bonnibel simply let her head tilt to the side, pity showing on her features. "What happened to you that makes your world so dark?" Marceline blinked, stunned at her soft and motherly tone. It was so unexpected; so much like Simon had been to her when she was a child. There was no reason for Bonnibel to be so conscious and gentle with her, then again there was no reason for the woman to be harsh either.

Marceline glanced at the seat beside her, reaching over to adjust the stuffed monkey so it wasn't slouching so much in the seat. "A lot of things," she finally muttered, turning back up and seeing the bubblegum scientist debating on pushing the question. "I don't want to talk about it." Marceline answered, eyes turning towards the windows where the setting sun had begun to dash a dull orange across all of the broken glass and metal.


	10. Chapter 10

"And you wonder why I'm always so hesitant about visiting my dad," Marceline chuckled, continuing onwards as Bonnibel hung hesitantly behind. She had always imagined that Marceline just exaggerated towards her father's acts, that she was just being overemotional. But after meeting him in person, Bonnibel realized that Marceline had run away from home for a good reason. She was being force to become something she didn't want, to become the Queen of the Nightosphere rather than simply Marceline.

"I'm sorry," Bonnibel breathed as Marceline brushed her hand against the X she had drawn on the wall earlier. A quick glance up and she smiled at the swirling purple that would take them back to Bonnibel's closet.

"Don't worry about it, no one believes me until they actually see it." Marceline shrugged, but Bonnibel wouldn't take the cast aside comment as she shook her head.

"But I shouldn't have just assumed, Marcy. I…I should know you better than that," she admitted, startling both Marceline as well as herself. The vampire had been right. She _had_ changed, and not for the better. Before she was always conscious of the happiness of those around her, of ensuring their peace of mind and feeling of safety. But at some point she had decided that sweeping it all under the rug was easier. A woman like Marceline didn't deserve that sort of cast off.

"Well, why don't we get out of here before things get too sappy and they realize we're not on the street anymore." Marceline urged, holding out a hand with a sheepish smile. Maybe this was good for Bonnibel, for both of them. With their budding friendship Marceline had started to think back more to when they had first met. She had envied Bonnibel so much in those days with how excited she was about the world. There could be nothing wrong and no sadness wherever Bonnibel was. But Marceline had started to notice the princess drifting from that state of mind and it had truthfully started to worry her. Only, Marceline had assumed the princess's growing closeness to her had been a result of the issues in Ooo, when in fact it had been the other way around.

Bonnibel took her hand, gripping Marceline's shoulders gently as they drifted up into the portal and back into the safety of her home. The pink was shocking to her eyes and she stepped away to allow Marceline to close the portal and wipe away any remnants. "Why did you run away all those years ago?" Bonnibel questioned, the flashbacks making it impossible for her to ignore the thought. Marceline paused, staring at the faded pink carpet for a moment.

"Because…because you didn't need someone like me hanging around and holding you back," she breathed, surprising Bonnibel. "I dunno. After everything I had done to you, you didn't seem bothered by it at all. I…I wasn't used to such acceptance. I didn't think I deserved it." She admitted as Bonnibel's mouth fell open, staring at the anxious vampire like she had grown a second head.

"Didn't deserve it? What sort of craziness it that, Marcy?" Bonnibel exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air after dropping her duffle onto the floor. "You deserve just as much as the rest of Ooo," Bonnie explained, making Marceline nervously smile and kick at the rug.

"Yeah, yeah, you're just saying that," Marceine remarked, waving off the comment and moving towards the door. But Bonnibel reached out, gripping her shoulder tightly to keep her still.

"Don't run away from me again, Marcy. I spent years searching for you after that day," she continued. "You were my inspiration for the Candy Kingdom. It was built to be a haven…in hopes that one day you would come back. Maybe it worked?" She questioned as Marceline turned towards her, seeing a look from the princess that hadn't appeared in ages. Hope rested in Bonnibel's blue-eyed gaze, making Marceline's hollow chest swell.

Emotions slowed time around them as Marceline surged forward. Lips pressed against lips, their breathing simultaneous as the two women finally embraced one another. The final wall holding them at bay had been shattered. Almost a millennium of friendship (sort of) and their care towards one another had boiled over. Marceline had wanted nothing more than to come back to Bonnibel after all of that time, but she couldn't just appear and apologize. It didn't make sense to the vampire. But now she felt like a fool for waiting for so long, for pretending that a woman like Bonnibel would so easily cast her aside.

Bonnibel felt her body melting under the vampire's grasp. Eyes closed as her remaining senses fell into the sensations of the kiss, wishing for it to never end. _This_ was what she had wanted. Bonnibel had never been able to explain her infatuation with the vampire from such an early time in their past. She wanted to be the one to help her, fix her, make her better, and make her smile. But as she drifted further and further away from her innocent past self, Bonnibel found she simply wanted to be close to Marceline. Because Marceline had never changed. The vampire might state otherwise, but every moment she saw Marceline the vampire was nothing more than a gentle soul with a hard exterior. She cared greatly and worried constantly and Bonnibel needed to be around someone that reminded her that it was okay to be weak for once.

Days could have passed before the pair finally pulled away, their lips parting with a soft smack. Bonnibel was out of breath, the half-demon showing no change except for a gentle flush on her cheeks. "Wow…" Marceline exhaled, tongue running over her lips out of habit. For all of the boys that she'd dated and been with, she'd never felt so blown away from a simple kiss.

"That was…more than I could have ever hoped for," Bonnibel admitted, leaning her face into Marceline's hand on her cheek. The princess had never experienced such sensations before. Certainly she had been swooned and flirted with by suitors, and then there was that entire Finn situation. But Bonnibel had never truly seen herself with anyone other than Marceline. For the longest of time Bonnibel assumed it was for the length of their friendship. Only, all of her fantasies of the future were not as two friends, they were as partners, side by side till the next millennium and another after that. She wanted to be able to hold Marceline without the worries of that day or the next. To just enjoy the present for once.

"We should probably keep moving," Marceline giggled, the laugh making Bonnibel smile and return with one of her own. "I don't think my dad is going to wait till we get _everything_ out of our systems." Marceline nudged at Bonnibel playfully as the princess's face fell. Intercourse, she was referring to intercourse and immediately Bonnibel's entire body turned a scalding red. She muttered something about needing to change and Marceline politely excused herself from the closet to wait outside. For a moment Bonnibel felt she might panic, but a quick glance in the mirror reminded her that time was not exactly in their favor.

"Ready to go," Bonnibel whispered, toying with her cropped strands of hair. It always felt weird for her not to wear her crown, and it was a continuous reminder of what they were facing.

"Great," Marceline grinned, looking far too excited for the issues at hand. But she couldn't help herself. With all of the commotion created by her bringing Bonnibel to the Nightosphere, it had all turned out fantastically. Yes, they still needed to deal with her father, but Marceline couldn't ignore how nice it was to no longer feel hesitant around Bonnibel.


	11. Chapter 11

"And you wonder why I'm always so hesitant about visiting my dad," Marceline chuckled, continuing onwards as Bonnibel hung hesitantly behind. She had always imagined that Marceline just exaggerated towards her father's acts, that she was just being overemotional. But after meeting him in person, Bonnibel realized that Marceline had run away from home for a good reason. She was being force to become something she didn't want, to become the Queen of the Nightosphere rather than simply Marceline.

"I'm sorry," Bonnibel breathed as Marceline brushed her hand against the X she had drawn on the wall earlier. A quick glance up and she smiled at the swirling purple that would take them back to Bonnibel's closet.

"Don't worry about it, no one believes me until they actually see it." Marceline shrugged, but Bonnibel wouldn't take the cast aside comment as she shook her head.

"But I shouldn't have just assumed, Marcy. I…I should know you better than that," she admitted, startling both Marceline as well as herself. The vampire had been right. She _had_ changed, and not for the better. Before she was always conscious of the happiness of those around her, of ensuring their peace of mind and feeling of safety. But at some point she had decided that sweeping it all under the rug was easier. A woman like Marceline didn't deserve that sort of cast off.

"Well, why don't we get out of here before things get too sappy and they realize we're not on the street anymore." Marceline urged, holding out a hand with a sheepish smile. Maybe this was good for Bonnibel, for both of them. With their budding friendship Marceline had started to think back more to when they had first met. She had envied Bonnibel so much in those days with how excited she was about the world. There could be nothing wrong and no sadness wherever Bonnibel was. But Marceline had started to notice the princess drifting from that state of mind and it had truthfully started to worry her. Only, Marceline had assumed the princess's growing closeness to her had been a result of the issues in Ooo, when in fact it had been the other way around.

Bonnibel took her hand, gripping Marceline's shoulders gently as they drifted up into the portal and back into the safety of her home. The pink was shocking to her eyes and she stepped away to allow Marceline to close the portal and wipe away any remnants. "Why did you run away all those years ago?" Bonnibel questioned, the flashbacks making it impossible for her to ignore the thought. Marceline paused, staring at the faded pink carpet for a moment.

"Because…because you didn't need someone like me hanging around and holding you back," she breathed, surprising Bonnibel. "I dunno. After everything I had done to you, you didn't seem bothered by it at all. I…I wasn't used to such acceptance. I didn't think I deserved it." She admitted as Bonnibel's mouth fell open, staring at the anxious vampire like she had grown a second head.

"Didn't deserve it? What sort of craziness it that, Marcy?" Bonnibel exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air after dropping her duffle onto the floor. "You deserve just as much as the rest of Ooo," Bonnie explained, making Marceline nervously smile and kick at the rug.

"Yeah, yeah, you're just saying that," Marceine remarked, waving off the comment and moving towards the door. But Bonnibel reached out, gripping her shoulder tightly to keep her still.

"Don't run away from me again, Marcy. I spent years searching for you after that day," she continued. "You were my inspiration for the Candy Kingdom. It was built to be a haven…in hopes that one day you would come back. Maybe it worked?" She questioned as Marceline turned towards her, seeing a look from the princess that hadn't appeared in ages. Hope rested in Bonnibel's blue-eyed gaze, making Marceline's hollow chest swell.

Emotions slowed time around them as Marceline surged forward. Lips pressed against lips, their breathing simultaneous as the two women finally embraced one another. The final wall holding them at bay had been shattered. Almost a millennium of friendship (sort of) and their care towards one another had boiled over. Marceline had wanted nothing more than to come back to Bonnibel after all of that time, but she couldn't just appear and apologize. It didn't make sense to the vampire. But now she felt like a fool for waiting for so long, for pretending that a woman like Bonnibel would so easily cast her aside.

Bonnibel felt her body melting under the vampire's grasp. Eyes closed as her remaining senses fell into the sensations of the kiss, wishing for it to never end. _This_ was what she had wanted. Bonnibel had never been able to explain her infatuation with the vampire from such an early time in their past. She wanted to be the one to help her, fix her, make her better, and make her smile. But as she drifted further and further away from her innocent past self, Bonnibel found she simply wanted to be close to Marceline. Because Marceline had never changed. The vampire might state otherwise, but every moment she saw Marceline the vampire was nothing more than a gentle soul with a hard exterior. She cared greatly and worried constantly and Bonnibel needed to be around someone that reminded her that it was okay to be weak for once.

Days could have passed before the pair finally pulled away, their lips parting with a soft smack. Bonnibel was out of breath, the half-demon showing no change except for a gentle flush on her cheeks. "Wow…" Marceline exhaled, tongue running over her lips out of habit. For all of the boys that she'd dated and been with, she'd never felt so blown away from a simple kiss.

"That was…more than I could have ever hoped for," Bonnibel admitted, leaning her face into Marceline's hand on her cheek. The princess had never experienced such sensations before. Certainly she had been swooned and flirted with by suitors, and then there was that entire Finn situation. But Bonnibel had never truly seen herself with anyone other than Marceline. For the longest of time Bonnibel assumed it was for the length of their friendship. Only, all of her fantasies of the future were not as two friends, they were as partners, side by side till the next millennium and another after that. She wanted to be able to hold Marceline without the worries of that day or the next. To just enjoy the present for once.

"We should probably keep moving," Marceline giggled, the laugh making Bonnibel smile and return with one of her own. "I don't think my dad is going to wait till we get _everything_ out of our systems." Marceline nudged at Bonnibel playfully as the princess's face fell. Intercourse, she was referring to intercourse and immediately Bonnibel's entire body turned a scalding red. She muttered something about needing to change and Marceline politely excused herself from the closet to wait outside. For a moment Bonnibel felt she might panic, but a quick glance in the mirror reminded her that time was not exactly in their favor.

"Ready to go," Bonnibel whispered, toying with her cropped strands of hair. It always felt weird for her not to wear her crown, and it was a continuous reminder of what they were facing.

"Great," Marceline grinned, looking far too excited for the issues at hand. But she couldn't help herself. With all of the commotion created by her bringing Bonnibel to the Nightosphere, it had all turned out fantastically. Yes, they still needed to deal with her father, but Marceline couldn't ignore how nice it was to no longer feel hesitant around Bonnibel.


	12. Chapter 12

She gathered the princess up in her arms and swooped off of the balcony, forcing Bonnibel to grip Marceline tightly out of surprise. "You should be a little more serious about this," Bonnibel scolded, body relaxing some the longer that they were in the air. Her eyes explored Marceline's face, biting her lip in excitement, knowing that Marceline's smile was her doing. When Marceline did smile, it was far more of a smug smirk but this was seemed genuinely happy and content. One of her fangs poked free and there was the small sigh of dimples on her cheeks that made Bonnibel want to pinch them. Of course she didn't, knowing very well that would result in her falling from the sky.

"I am plenty serious about it, can't you tell?" Marceline asked, beginning to descend from the sky as they passed of their tree and her cave came into view. Bonnibel raised a brow, looking at her graceful features for some form of a serious twitch…but the smile remained firm.

"I am not sure if you are trying to mess with me," Bonnibel muttered as the vampire touched down outside the gloomy hole.

"When am I not, Bon-Bon?" Marceline purred, playfully ruffling Bonnibel's choppy hair and making the candy princess pout and grumble. But suddenly the mischievous grin on Marceline's cheeks faded into a far smaller smile. "You are really beautiful, Princess Bubblegum," she breathed, leaning down to press a gentle kiss on Bonnibel's lips.

The princess stood there, startled and swept away in the moment as Marceline departed to get on with their mission. It was frustrating how easy the vampire could fluster her. Marceline was simply so much more confident about affairs of the heart, or at least far more trained in the matter to keep her legs from giving out from under her (being able to fly helped that as well). Either way, a small call from the vampire brought Bonnibel back to reality and she quickly trotted into the cave and towards Marceline's home.

But as they approached, both women noticed a somewhat familiar figure sitting on the banister just outside. Bonnibel couldn't say she knew the woman personally, but from Marceline's description this was Betty, the Ice King's supposed "princess." She had dark brown hair, thick and contained in a ponytail her smile welcoming and almost familiar as Bonnibel and Marceline paused several feet from the door.

"Betty, what are you doing here?" Ooo knew of the sacrifice Betty had made – or at least knew some stranger had made a sacrifice for the wizards of Ooo. They believed she was dead but Betty had simply gone into hiding, spending her time looking for a cure for Simon's disease. She had exposed herself to Marceline because Marceline was the only other being that knew Simon before he was fully lost to the crown. But Marceline couldn't figure out why the woman was here right now.

"I heard you were having some trouble in the Nightosphere," she jumped from the banister in a familiar manner to someone Bonnibel knew. If only she could remember.

"How did _you_ hear?" Bonnibel exclaimed, considering the fact that it had only just happened and no one except demons really cared to keep up with the events of the Nightosphere…it simply didn't make sense.

"I just do," she shrugged, "and I know you're here to pick up your father's necklace." Marceline blinked, staring at the woman as Betty gave a hard puff, preparing to explain herself. "There's more to this than you understand, Marcy-bear." The nickname startled Marceline, making her step back and reach protectively for Bonnibel. Something wasn't right and immediately Betty held up her hands to try and stop them. "Please, just hear me out. What your father is trying to do is alter the events that are in motion."

"What events?" Bonnibel questioned, pulling Betty's attention, unable to ignore her growing curiosity of this situation.

"I'm sure Marceline has explained to you the importance of balance in Ooo?" Betty asked as PB gave a hesitant nod, signaling the woman to continue. "Well, over a millennium ago…let's say 1003 years specifically," she gestured towards Marceline's exact age – which no one really knew. "A child was born in the Nightosphere. A _human_ child."

"But that's not possible," Marceline breathed, looking down at Bonnibel's confused features. "The Nightophere itself is stingy about demon babies. But there is literally _no_ chance that any of them would be human unless…"

"Unless the natural order was failing," Betty finished, stepping towards them. "The solution to the problem would have been simple, to return the child to the surface. But your father could not make that sacrifice, Marceline. Neither of us could."

"What do you mean 'neither of us'?" Marceline demanded, meeting Betty's soft expression, fitted with a comforting smile…almost motherly.

"You were that child, Marceline. Born into royalty as a human. But a sacrifice needed to be made for the sake of the world. A human needed to return to the surface. I was that sacrifice." She stated and Marceline gripped Bonnibel tightly, feeling like her legs had turned into jelly. "I had never imagined finding you again, Marcy-bear. You've grown up so much."

"No…stop it," Marceline breathed, stepping back like Betty was going to bite her. "You're supposed to be _dead_, that was what dad said. He said you died giving birth to me. That I _killed_ you!" Marceline stammered as Betty's smile faded, genuine concern on her face.

"Killed me? Of course not, Marceline. I left the Nightosphere to protect you. I…I never imagined your father would change you," she whispered, gesturing to the marks on Marceline's neck as the vampire frantically shook her head.

"No, you can't be…" tears trickled down the vampire's cheeks as Bonnibel felt out of place. She didn't know what to do, how to comfort, whether to quiet Betty or support her.

"But I am, Marceline. I'm your mother."

COMMENTS: Another chunk of the story for all of you lovely people. I have to admit, my brain sort of went off on this huge plot twist the more I wrote it. Every flashback with Bonnibel always made a remark towards Marceline at some point so I figured it only made sense that their "friendship" started all of those years ago. As for Betty, well, I had the motherly idea since the beginning but started to think about how Simon was sort of like a father to Marcy and if he had found Betty, she would have been like a mother. So why not go ahead and make her one? I'm hoping all of the "balance of Ooo" stuff makes sense to people, again, just an idea that popped in my head and I've been rolling with it. I only plan to have one more batch of chapters for this story, not sure how long, but long enough to wrap this all up. Hope you enjoy!


End file.
